New legislation in Hawaii that would impact the rights of law abiding gun owners was recently introduced to the Senate.
Democrat Senator Karl Rhoads (D-13) is backing laws that would effectively ban firearm modifications, even when done by law abiding citizens. The proposed legislation, SB 2046 is not law yet and Hawaii gun owners and those interested in preserving Second Amendment rights for United States citizens are urged to get in contact with the senate today to add your voice to the opposition. The NRA offers a fast and straightforward way to connect with the correct senate office to have your voice heard when it comes to SB 2046.
Similar in terms and restrictions to the federal bill proposed by Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), SB 2046 aims to remove the rights of Hawaii’s gun owners and impose harsh penalties on those found in violation. Under the proposed law, it would be a crime to have a modified weapon that accelerates the firing capacity and speed of a weapon. Owning, bartering, gifting, selling or otherwise transferring this type of weapon would be a crime; so would owning or possessing it.
This is a broad, far-reaching bill and local gun advocates fear that it would be used to infringe further upon the rights of law abiding citizens in the state of Hawaii. “Modifications” are broadly defined, and many of the modifications listed are done by gun owners to improve weapons for hunting, self-defense or even to accommodate a disability.
This is not the first anti-gun bill introduced in Hawaii recently. In spring 2017, Senate Bill 898 passed unanimously; this bill would remove an individual’s Second Amendment rights via an ex-parte warrant proceeding. This would allow officials to seize firearms from an individual not for criminal or mental health issues, but because of “probable cause.”
While the bill allows an effected individual to have a hearing to restore their rights, the process is lengthy and costly. This bill directly targets legal, law abiding citizens, not criminals and sets aside traditional rules to grab firearms from individuals without a specific reason.
Senate Bill 898 was also vague enough to impact a wide range of gun owners and to be employed at the whim of officials. With these new bills and legislative initiatives, Hawaii continues to become an unfriendly state for gun owners, and joins California as a state with an aggressive stance towards legal gun owners.
It is too late to do anything about Bill 898, but Hawaii residents are urged to contact local Senators and legislators to voice concerns about and opposition to SB2046. There is still time to preserve the Second Amendment rights of Hawaii citizens and take a stand against those who would remove those rights permanently.
~ 1776 Christian
